October 31, 2009 Families of disabled move to prevent future cuts Play video

(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Boston, Mass.) - One Massachusetts family reeling from a layoff and cuts to state services is now doing its part to prevent further costs to social services.

Lauri Medeiros, of Medford, Massachusetts works as an advocate for families who have children with disabilities - a situation she's in herself at home.

Next week, her daughter Ashley Medeiros turns 17 years old.

Ashley has Down syndrome with severe medical complications.

She has regressed the past two years and now requires help even with basic tasks like eating dinner and washing her hands.

"Sometimes she's up 24 hours and can't make it to school the next day. Sometimes (she) has to come home from school because she's had a kind of neurological event at school or something has happened where we're called to come pick her up," Lauri Medeiros said.

But with budget cuts to key state programs a few months ago, coupled with her Dad Rich losing his job, the family could not afford to pay for after school care programs for Ashley.

So now, he's the caregiver at home.

"We could put her in a residential (facility) because of her needs, but we want her home. Let her stay home, we'll handle her here," Rich Medeiros said.

"When the July 1 cuts came, it became evidently clear, the Department of Developmental Services had let go something like 6000 children from family support," added Lauri Medeiros.

And in this round of cuts, in spite of a

"While other parts of state government suffered a 6.5 percent decrease, you know, our services were somewhere around 1 percent," The Arc of Massachusetts Executive Director Leo Sarkissian said.

At a conference Friday, several agencies came together as MA 21, to implement a disability policy handbook for the 21st century, and as a way to avoid future cuts.

"I have disabilities myself, that's where I can relate to the individuals I work with," said Craig Powers of Amesbury, Mass.

Teased his whole life, now at age 30, Powers is pleased there is still funding for the work he's been able to do at a day rehab called Petalworks and hopes his job will be one that stays.

"I went from direct aid down to the bottom to a case manager up on top. I have my own group now where I have four individuals," Powers said.

Back to Medford, where Ashley is playing tic-tac-toe with her mom, who is advocating for her daughter and for the end of having to wait for details of the budget year-to-year.

"We never really seem to get ahead of that proactive, reactive, proactive, reactive proactive, reactive environment," Lauri Medeiros said.

And though programs for disabilities were not hit hard and local aid was not cut, many other areas were - the prospect of 2000 jobs lost, programs to help the homeless and public safety.